


In You, I found Recovery, By You I Found Sanctuary

by KizaKurosaki15



Series: Vaniku [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 22:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18433820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KizaKurosaki15/pseuds/KizaKurosaki15
Summary: He didn't need words to know what he meant. But the words he spoke meant a lot.





	In You, I found Recovery, By You I Found Sanctuary

When he found his body while roaming in the realm of Darkness with Terra and king Mickey, Riku had no idea what to think. He didn't even know how to react. So he by nature called the over two over, upon seeing the state he seemed to be in, it had been the King to suggest they take him back. Terra had been hesitant at first, so had Riku. However there was something about this situation that warranted them to take him back. So they did and when they arrive back at Mysterious Tower with the other Guardians of Light minus Sora who was still missing; it had been Aqua to instantly know what was wrong with the unresponsive raven haired male.

His heart wasn't there. It wasn't in the body, much like Ventus had been. Vanitas it seemed after losing a second time to Ventus, had faded away but his body had some how survived and his heart, well, that was anyone's guess. At first they believed maybe it had faded away, but that wouldn't be the case if his body was left behind. So clearly there was something more to this. Or so Riku believed, Aqua had also been the first one to say to leave him be, to not bother searching for the boy's missing heart. After all, he had made his decision to remain sided with the seekers of Darkness. He pushed away the opportunity to side with them. And in her eyes, there was no forgiving what he had done.

Riku knew she was in her own right. She didn't have to forgive him, she wasn't obligated to. Everything Vanitas had done to them back then warranted nothing but hate, but Riku also knew that part of the other Keyblade Master wanted to help the raven. She had seen what this slumber did to Ventus. It took a long time for him to get back onto a regular sleeping pattern and his fear of sleeping ran deep. Riku also knew how scary it was to be trapped somewhere all alone with seemingly no way to get out to get back home. Wherever Vanitas' heart was, he was probably scared. Either way, with no actual idea as to where his fractured, broken heart was, the best they could do was keep watch over his body.

That's when the dreams started. At first Riku would wake up in the dead of night in a cold sweat. He couldn't recall what had startled him to wake up in such a manner. The first two times it happened, he didn't pay to much mind to it. Hell even the third time he paid no mind to it. It was the many times afterwards that he decided to start writing down what he could remember from those dreams. At first it was hazy, he couldn't remember anything. From there he started to recall faintly hearing something- someone. That's when the fear started, he could start to feel emotions that were not his own, fears, pain, sorrow, anger and so many other emotions that just weren't logical for him to feel. Then, he started seeing someone, someone sitting on the ground with their knees pulled to their chest, or laying curled up on the ground. The emotions were coming from them, and Riku could never reach them before he found himself waking up.

He never once spoke a word about this to the others.

The more he remembered, the more he was actually able to write down. By the third week of these dreams happening he could finally see who that someone was. And when he finally saw and heard them, he found himself again waking up in a cold sweat, shocked and feeling lost.

_How did Vanitas' Heart end up in his own?_

Again, he didn't dare speak a word to this to anyone else. Not yet anyway. After that day, Riku made it a sort of.... personal mission to try and talk to the other boy. At first it was difficult, Vanitas would lash out, spitting our hard words and even going as far as trying to attack him. Promising him that once the chance was given he'd take over this body and take back what was rightfully his. Those days Riku wouldn't sleep. As time passed, Vanitas mellowed out, yes he would still hiss out hard words and attack him, but his threats of taking over his body had lessen and became empty. Little by little, Riku was able to remember more and more about his encounters with the raven. Until finally, he could remember every last detail. When he was finally able to sit next to the other boy and have a conversation with him, that's when he finally was able to ask;

"How did you get here?"

"I wish I knew."

Those words shocked the silver haired male to his core. Vanitas had no idea how he ended up here and didn't seem like he even wanted to be. On some days, he would find the raven curled on his side, choking on a tar like substance that seemed to spill from his mouth. Other days he would find him asleep, resting even if it was clear it wasn't a peaceful sleep. On good days, he would find Vanitas laying in his back, eyes closed in content as he waited patiently for Riku ro arrive once he fell into sleep. Riku liked these days the best. It was on these days he got to see a more or less playful side of Vanitas that reminded him so much of Sora. On those days, they would have friendly spars that would usually end up with Vanitas sitting on him with a proud grin, or Riku pinning him down and allowing his fingers to dance up and down Vanitas' sides as loud bouts of laughter and giggles escaped him.

Then there were his bad days, the days were Riku would show up, and Vanitas would want nothing to do with him. Where the golden eyed male would screen and shout that he was just some tool, the days where he would say he wasn't Sora that he wasn't some replacement. On those days he said the most foul and harsh things about himself that when Riku would wake up, he could practically feel his own eyes sting with the tears and the pain that Vanitas was more then likely feeling. On those days, Riku would skip out on training with the other Guardians Of Light and spend it on Destiny Islands. These days usually didn't last very long, Riku would never blame Vanitas for his out bursts of anger. The raven would show remorse for his words, for his actions. On the nights he would go see the raven after those episodes he was met with the sight him hugging his knees to his chest, trying to make himself look as small as possible.

"He did something to me...when he brought me back. I-i don't know what he did, but he did something to me and now I'm like this."

Riku thought so as well. Vanitas didn't seem like he would follow Xehanort's orders a second time, not after the first time. He was a wild card, a spirit that couldn't be tamed by someone like that old coot. Whatever that man had done, it threw all of Vanitas' already unstable being off whatever Balance he had managed to get. And whatever he had done, it was causing this instability of his emotions. And it scared Vanitas to his very core.

"I can't....I can't return to my body like this. I'd do more harm then good. I-i can't. They already want me dead. If I go back-"

"I'll protect you."

He wasn't sure what made him say that- no, that was a lie, he knew exactly why he said. Vanitas was strong, he didn't exactly need Riku to protect him, but he would need help, he would still need time to recover. It was just a matter of convincing the golden eyed boy to go back to his body. As of now, his heart was still damaged and badly. Riku could feel it, he could see it I the way Vanitas acted and carried himself. But he couldn't force him to go back either, not if he felt he wasn't ready.

"But...I don't deserve it."

Those words hurt a lot more then what Riku haf expected. The look on Vanitas' face only made the pain dig itself deeper. Vanitas truly believed that he didn't deserve a third chance at life, that he didn't deserve to be looked after and protected. He had said so himself many times before, but it never hurt like it did now. Maybe it was because a few weeks ago he wasn't as close to Vanitas as he was now, or maybe because he understood what it was like to feel as if there was no atoning for what he had done in the past. Either way, Riku found himself embracing the other boy tightly.

"Yes you do. It wasn't your fault you spent your life alone with Xehanort. You can make up for what you've done, just...take the leap. I'll be there to catch you."

He didn't think those words would affect Vanitas as much as it had. Soon Riku found himself being embraced back just as tightly, he could feel the tremors coming from the smaller male. The way Vanitas was clinging to him was as if he was afraid he would disappear and never return. He could feel tears soaking his shoulder, Riku couldn't help but smile as he rubbed the other's back. The next set of words that followed had him both excited and nervous.

"I want to go back."

The following morning was the first time Riku ever spoke to the others about the past two months and Vanitas' heart in his own. Aqua hadn't been pleased to hear where Vanitas was and wasn't happy that Riku hadn't told them right away. Ventus seemed relived that Vanitas hadn't completely faded away. Lea was indifferent, and Riku couldn't blame him, Kairi seemed... hesitant about voicing an opinion, but eventually she seemed to be willing to go along witj whatever plan Riku had. The others, though unsure also agreed. For hours they spent getting things ready, from Land Of Departure they took his body and traveled to Radiant Garden. The process of extracting Vanitas' heart wasn't anything spectacular like he had first believed.

But when his heart finally returned to his own body, Vanitas' eyes had sprung open before he was desperately gasping for air. It was like chaos erupted in the room when he rolled off the bed and was throwing up that tar like substance, wounds that Riku knew he didn't have back in his heart whenever he saw him were now open and seeping that same substance. Unversed tried to form only to melt back into his body or only to have Vanitas himself force them back down. Aqua had looked ready to strike the raven down, and would have had Riku not rushed to his side and pushed his dark colored locks away from his face.

"That's it, just let it out, don't fight it. I'm here now."

That night anyone could cut the tension in the air like it was a stick of butter. It was thick it lead to many of them deciding to retire to their rooms early for the evening. Riku soon found himself sitting by his bed, watching the slow rise and fall of Vanitas' chest as he slept. For once he looked peaceful. The following days, it took a lot of patience to handle the golden eyed male, from his random bouts of feeling sick, to then moments he seemed to lose control of his Unversed. Many times Aqua had made it clear she would strike him down if Ventus got hurt by one of the many creatures of Darkness Vanitas created. On those days, Riku kept himself and Vanitas up in his room.

It took about another Month for Vanitas to more or less regain some sort of stability that allowed him to sit outside and watch the others train. He was weary around the Guardians, wouldn't actively seeking out to start any sort of conversation with them. The one time he did it had been with Kairi and Ventus, and that encounter lead to him nearly attacking Kairi bas she had accidentally called him Sora. Something she hadn't meant to do, but did anyway. Riku had been shocked when it was Ventus to talked down his darker half. Kairi had apologized, and so did Vanitas, but he didn't try to start conversations with her again after that.

"In you, I found recovery. My heart had been so shattered and broken after Ventus and Sora had defeated me again. I truly believed that would be the end, I wouldn't be suffering anymore and I wouldn't be used for the sake of other people's desires." Vanitas spoke that night while he laid curled up against his side, head resting on his shoulder with Riku's arm resting over his waist. His fingers drawing random patterns on his lower back. "But then I woke up in your heart. I don't know how I ended up there and it took a long time for you to notice I was even there. But the darkness in you helped my heart heal at least enough to maintain itself again."

Riku smiled a bit at his words, he watched as Vanitas placed his hand over his heart. Vanitas seemed to be mulling over what words he wanted to say next, Riku said nothing. He knew that if he did, Vanitas would just lose his training thought and come up with something else. So he waited patiently, continuing to draw those random patterns on the other boy's lower back. He lowered his head, nuzzling his face against the dark colored locks.

"By you, I found Sanctuary. There was never such a thing as a safe place for me. Not because I had people after me, no. Never that. I was my own worst enemy, I was a threat to myself. I would be the cause of the my own downfall. Even in your heart I was a risk to myself more then I was a risk to you or anyone else," Vanitas sighed, closing his eyes as he pressed the palm of his hand over Riku's heart, his eyes closing. He didn't look troubled, he didn't feel sick or upset. He felt...at peace, safe, warm and content. "That's different now, because by you it's like a safe Haven. It's not....perfect. but it's my piece of sanctuary."

Smiling fondly, Riku moved his arm so his hand was now resting over Vanitas' smaller hand. They both stayed like that, silent and content. Riku only moved to press soft kisses to the top of the other male's head or to his face. The words didn't need to be spoken, because Riku knew, he could feel exactly what Vanitas wanted to say just by the simple action of placing a kiss to where his hand was resting.

_"Thank you."_


End file.
